Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux runs through traffic during their CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal against Murrieta Valley on Friday night at Murrieta Valley High. Redeaux scored five touchdowns for the Lions, but Murrieta Valley won, 55-52, in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Brayden Hampsten hangs onto the ball after a catch during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze runs for yardage during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal against Oaks Christian on Friday night at Murrieta Valley High. Murrieta Valley won, 55-52, in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux tries to escape a defender during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Dehonne Redeaux scores the first touchdown of the game during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Quarterback, Trey Towns Jr., runs for yardage during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Derrick Johnson jr. runs in for a touchdown during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux looks for a receiver
during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Bear Bachmeier runs in for a touchdown during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Davon Benjamin runs for yardage during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Quarterback, Trey Towns Jr., passes the ball during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Dorian Hoze is stopped by three Oaks Christian defenders during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux runs for yardage
during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School.Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Jacob Alvarez tries to evade defenders
during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Stevie Amar is stopped by Murrieta Valley’s Dylan Gray during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s Trey Towns Jr. runs for yardage during a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. Murrieta Valley won the game 55-52 in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) runs the ball on the final play of the game, a 12-yard touchdown run, to give his team a 55-52 overtime victory over Oaks Christian in a CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal on Friday night at Murrieta Valley High. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley quarterback Bear Bachmeier scores the winning touchdown on a 12-yard run in overtime to give his team a 55-52 victory over Oaks Christian in a CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal on Friday night at Murrieta Valley High. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s football team enters the stadium prior to
a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Oaks Christian’s football team enter the stadium prior to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
The official explains the ground runs of the game to the captains prior to a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
The Color Guard stands tall during the playing of our National Anthem prior to a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
Murrieta Valley’s Choir sing the National Anthem prior to a CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinal football game between the Murrieta Valley Nighthawks and the Oaks Christian Lions on Friday Nov. 22nd at Murrieta Valley High School. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
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Oaks Christian’s Deshonne Redeaux runs through traffic during their CIF-SS Division 2 semifinal against Murrieta Valley on Friday night at Murrieta Valley High. Redeaux scored five touchdowns for the Lions, but Murrieta Valley won, 55-52, in overtime. (Photo by Nick Koon, Contributing Photographer)
MURRIETA — The Murrieta Valley football team will be making its second appearance in a CIF championship game next week, and similar to 2016, the name “Bachmeier” will figure prominently in Coach George Wilson’s game plan.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier bulled into the end zone from 12 yards out in overtime on Friday night to propel the Nighthawks past Oaks Christian, 55-52, and into the Division 2 title game at home next Friday against undefeated Newbury Park. The Panthers held off Yorba Linda, 20-14, to improve to 13-0.
The Nighthawks (11-2) twice overcame two-touchdown deficits, two turnovers – one returned for a touchdown – and survived a remarkable effort by Oaks Christian running back Deshonne Redeaux. The speedy junior, who averages 114.2 yards rushing per game, routinely beat the Murrieta Valley defense to the outside and rushed for 238 yards and five touchdowns on 31 carries, including scoring runs of 25 and 60 yards.
“We did everything we could to lose the game,” Wilson said. “We turned the ball over twice, and we turned it over for a score, and typically in the semifinals, that tells the tale. The fact that we had those two bad turnovers and we overcame that, that was satisfying.”
Oaks Christian, seeking to make its 12th title-game appearance in pursuit of its ninth championship banner in the school’s 25-year history, finished the season with a 9-4 record.
“Special teams hurt us,” Collins said. “And the big plays, we let them off the hook.”
In the 2016 Division 2 title game, Bachmeier’s brother, Hank, was Murrieta Valley’s quarterback when the team lost at home to San Clemente, 45-35. On Friday, Bear Bachmeier put the Nighthawks in position to achieve a different result.
On his final run, Bachmeier tucked the ball on a run-pass option and ran to the left side of the line. He was hit and smothered at the 5, but he dragged the pile the final 5 yards into the end zone for the victory.
“It was supposed to be a running back swing, but I had the opportunity to take it behind a trap inside, so I ended up taking it and getting into the end zone. It was pretty cool,” the 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior said. “It’s exhilarating, for sure.”
Bachmeier completed 17 of 21 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns, and added 89 yards and three scores on 10 carries.
There were many heroes for the Nighthawks, who improved to 4-1 against Oaks Christian.
After Bachmeier hit Derrick Johnson Jr. with a 17-yard touchdown pass with 45 seconds remaining to pull Murrieta Valley within one point, 49-48, the hosts were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The 15-yard penalty scuttled Wilson’s plan to go for a two-point try. Instead, kicker Nathen Leavitt calmly drilled a 35-yard kick and tied the score.
In overtime, Oaks Christian had possession first and moved to the Murrieta Valley 12. But a bobbled snap led to a 6-yard loss, and freshman quarterback Trey Towns Jr. was sacked by Gio Monge and Troy Karg on consecutive plays, and the Lions settled for Sonny Jones’ 39-yard field goal for a 52-49 lead.
Murrieta Valley on its overtime possession returned to its most effective scheme – handing off to Dorian Hoze. Hoze, who rushed for 113 of his 144 yards after halftime, gained 19 yards on the drive and appeared to score on a 5-yard run. A holding penalty pushed the Nighthawks back to the 12, setting up Bachmeier’s winning run.
Collins said the Lions were determined to control the flow of the game, and they marched 64 yards in 15 plays on the opening possession for a 7-0 lead, capped by Redeaux’s 1-yard run.
After Murrieta Valley tied the score at 7-7 with 2:23 left in the half, Redeaux connected with Brayden Hampsten on a 68-yard halfback pass for a touchdown.
On Murrieta Valley’s next series, Lions defensive lineman Joseph Peko forced a fumble that Zayne Reed returned 25 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
Murrieta Valley cut the lead to 21-14 with 18 seconds left in the half when Bachmeier threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Julian Treadwell.
The Nighthawks pulled even immediately in the third quarter after Jeremiah Watson returned the second-half kickoff 83 yards to the Lions’ 4-yard line. Hoze punched it in from the 1 two plays later and the score was tied again.
Oaks Christian answered with a 13-play drive that Redeaux finished with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 28-21 lead, then extended it to 35-21 on Redeaux’s 60-yard gallop.
Murrieta Valley knotted the score at 42-42 in the fourth quarter on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Bachmeier to Johnson and a 5-yard run by Hoze with 4:40 to play.
